Today we’re talking hormones, but we’re not just talking about periods, PMT, and all that stuff…

Most of us find that ‘time of the month’ a nuisance at best, and life-halting at worst, but what if I told you that your body holds, in the form of your monthly cycle, the blueprint you need to organise your life (social plans, work commitments, etc.) and do it in a way that means your life will be infinitely easier.

Gloria Steinem (an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women’s liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s) said…

“Girls are taught to view their bodies as un-ending projects to work on, whereas boys, from an early age, are taught to view their bodies as tools to master their environment.”

How true is that?!

As women, we get on this giant hamster-wheel of self-improvement and self-sabotage, and we don’t learn about the important physical structures inside our bodies that can give us a map of how to live our lives. If you follow the ‘map’, you learn what to eat and when, how to exercise, plan social engagements, work priorities, etc.

It’s all laid out for you.

You don’t really need to think… Or do… Or struggle… It’s just there for you.

You see, it’s all to do with hormonal ratios.

Say what now?!

Well, as you can see from the pretty picture just there on the left, our monthly cycle has four distinct phases. In each phase, your body is going through different actions and developments, and so the levels and ratios of your hormones are also different within each phase.

The first phase (shown from day 6 to day 11 on this image) is the FOLLICULAR PHASE. This is when the eggs are maturing in the ovaries, getting ready for that exciting time when one will head off down a fallopian tube!

This is the time when we are most creative, and a full of effortless creative energy.

This is the time to dream big, the time to make plans, the time to start new projects.

The second phase (shown from day 11 to 16) is the OVULATORY PHASE. This is when one lucky egg makes a break for freedom.

During this time, our communication skills are at their best, and we have a ton of energy!

This is the time to have important conversations, to ask for that raise you’re due in work, to persuade your partner that he should buy the more expensive sofa because it’ll last so much longer, or whatever it might be.

At this time we are at our most persuasive and magnetic.

The third phase (shown from day 17 – 28) is the LUTEAL PHASE. This is when your body is utilising B vitamins to thicken the lining of the uterus, ready for an egg to become implanted.

During this phase we become very detail-oriented, and this is the time to do detail-oriented tasks.

Do you need to get your accounts up-to-date? Do you need to get to the nitty-gritty of a work project? Does your wardrobe need organising? Whatever it might be, now is the time to do it.

The fourth phase (shown from day 1 – 5) is the MENSTRUAL PHASE. Come on! We all know this phase! This is when the uterus lining is shed – commonly known as your period.

During this phase, there is the best communication between the right and left sides of the brain.

This is the best time to evaluate. Be it a work project, a relationship, or life in general, this is when our judgement is best.

This is also the best time to receive those gut-feeling messages. It is important to take notice of these intuitions.

So there we have it. Easy, isn’t it?

{NOTE – not everyone will have a 28-day cycle, your’s may be slightly longer or slightly shorter, but the basic principles still apply.}

Fall in love with your body and how it works, and eat to support it so that it can function at its best for you. Commit to this new relationship with your body. Plan your month, week by week (according to hormonal ratios), so that you can do more with your time (and more effectively). Leverage your body as a power tool.

Live in partnership with your body. Love your lady parts!

Until next time,

P.S. Wildly fluctuating hormones (shown through mood swings, skin problems, disrupted sleep and fatigue, cravings for comfort foods, etc.) can be a sign of toxicity. By joining The Clear Skin Plan, you will be taking a major step toward healing your body. I will work with you one-to-one to customise a plan to help you heal your skin and body. By the end of the six weeks you’ll have beautifully healthy skin, a calmer life, and more energy.

This article has been inspired by Alisa Vitti at FLO Living. Alisa is the Queen of hormones! FLO Living was created to introduce women to a new normal; where easy periods, a juicy sex drive, a halted ageing process, and tons of energy are par for the course.